A lot of people are redboarding now about their love for Williams after supporting Fields. Caleb was the safe pick, practically a no-brainer. No one should doubt his talent but he's not without weaknesses: he fumbles too much; he tries to make hero throws on every down; he's soft after being coddled his entire football life. Of course I'll be rooting for him to be a success. However...
...the Odunze pick was flashy but not needed. There's only one football and the Bears already have 2 #1 receivers, a TE with very good hands (plus Everett), and an RB who is a threat in the passing game. The Bears aren't going to the Super Bowl, and being in the North, they probably won't make the playoffs. They have IOL needs and maybe need a better LT. They have pass rush needs as well. They could have addressed those positions this year and drafted a WR next year. I suspect that Poles wanted to appease Williams because of his football relationship with Odunze, and when he was available at 1.9 it was also a no-brainer for Poles. That doesn't make it a smart pick given the circumstances. Williams now has no excuse for not throwing for 4000 yards and 30+ TDs. I hope he can handle that pressure and not cry to mommy. I would add that from the brief interview with Rome that I saw he seems like he's pure class and is very smart. I'll be rooting for him big time.
On a 1 to 10 scale Poles is about a 6. People who love him only see the good stuff. What about giving up a 2nd rounder for Claypool? Nate Davis is no prize either. (And some of Poles' other FA O-lineman choices are pretty bad too.) He overpaid for Edmunds (but was right about Edwards). He drafted not one but two DTs that haven't shown too much and are not a great fit for Eberflus' defense. He only got a 6th rounder for Fields because he held out too long thinking the market was hot for that QB. He passed on C.J Stroud which calls into question his ability to evaluate QBs. He kept Eberflus; too early to tell about that decision. All-in-all I seem him as about average. The good news is that the Bears aren't Atlanta. WTF was that GM thinking...
